Field Dressing, Scent Glands, Heart and Liver

[guncobbler]

I almost always have a long drag so I leave the heart, liver and lungs in the deer. I do slit the diaphram a couple times so that blood will run out. In the field I only make a stomach cut long enough to pull the stomack and intestines out. This keeps leaves and sticks from collecting in the cavity. When I get to camp I slice from lower neck to pelvis to cool the deer.

When I hang my deer up I never touch water to it. Just pat it dry with clean rags and let it hang. Figure water will just carry bacteria from one spot to the other. When it's dry the germs don't have a soup to breed in.

Has anyone pickled the tripe? I've made sausage from the stomach and the flavor is closer to steamed clams than steamed clams. Anyone made haggis from a deer stomach? If you ever get bored with your food thing about trying that GC

 

[smokeblower]

I eat the liver, heart, and keep the feet. Pull and clamp the tendon so the feet are curled and dry with some salt on the fresh exposed areas. When dry drill and insert a dry wall screw anchor, attach to a nice slab of wood(oak or cherry)and you have a fine single gun rack. The tail is given to fly rod fishermen who make their own flies. I also keep the feet and flesh out the toe bone fron the ulna bone. Using a 6,000 year old method of scoring, snapping and grinding, I make primative deer toe bone fish hooks. The ulna bone as well as the antlers make fine flintknapping tools.

 

[mglampson]

I always save the heart! It is :imo: the finest piece of meat in the whole deer. Even keep the ones with a hole through em. I also bring home the liver but give that away to who ever want it and someone always does.

Britches

 

[roundball]

Gut it, drag it out, deliver it to someone who wants it, go home, clean the rifle, grill a steak...
:front:

 

[Bert]

I always save the heart and give to the wife for the best fine grain soup meat. I try for a lung shot anymore to keep the wife from yelling at me. The tongue is about the best part of the deer anyway. Remember all the buffalo that were killed for it. Try it. Just get all the fat off of it.

 

[THBailey]

Intestine? :: Stomach/hagis? Tripe? :: You guys are eating way to much of your deer!! I do save the heart and the liver. I cut them up into small chunks, boil them up and sweeten my hunting dogs dry kibble with it.

To field dress the deer I start with it belly down, legs spread and butt up. With a 6 or 8 inch sharp knife blade I cut all the way around the anal opening, blade fully inserted, bearing the blade away from the colon pressing it hard against the bone all the way around. Next, flip the deer onto its back and slice off the mamaries if a doe or cut the penis and connecting tubes away from the cavity without cutting it off. Cut between the hams at the centerline where the muscle comes together, down to the pelvic bone center joint. This should leave a small opening at the bottom of the belly. Starting here carefully slice up the belly to the breast plate holding the blade away from the intestines and stomach, then through the breast plate (a small saw helps) and up the throat. Go back to the pelvis and cut the pelvic bone down the colon canal with a Sagan saw, usually two cuts an inch apart to really open the canal up. Then roll the deer to one side and trim away the diaphram, roll it to the other side and do likewise. Next, cut the wind pipe and throat as close to the head as possible, grab and start pulling straight back towards the butt,and then beyond, trimming connective tissue as needed. If all goes well the lungs, organs and guts, down to and including the anal opening, all come out in one fell swoop. Be careful not to cut, nick, or otherwise rip open, the stomach, any intestine, or the bladder.

If its a cold weather hunt I leave the hide on but do spread open the cavity and prop open the chest with a stick. If its a warm weather hunt I promptly skin it out to hang in a cool spot in a deer bag, and if its hot out (we sometimes hunt in 100 degree heat out here in California) into the big ice chest it goes. If the critter was gut shot or otherwise messy inside after gutting, I promptly wash the cavity out thoroughly with lots of water and dry it off with paper towels or equivilant.

I never have done anything with the scent glands, other than avoid them during skinning.

 

[Stumpkiller]

I save and eat the heart and liver. Liver & onions w/Marsala wine is the meal that first night that affirms the success.

Roast heart with stuffing & mashed potatoes shortly thereafter. Mmmmm.

I never mess with the scent glands, but am careful not to touch them (other than to straddle the deer and tuck the hind legs behind mine as I work). I hunt deer, I don't bait them, so I have no use for the glands.

I use a long, narrow bladed knife to "bung" the colon and slip it back into the abdomen, with the bladder, and remove those bits carefully. There is usually enough blood (and/or snow) to rinse out the cavity.

 

[oomcurt]

Just curious about the heart..while I will eat most anything, years back I tried cooking it...and well..I er...boiled the thing..not bad tasting..but sure was different. I was wondering..with the proper spices...boiling it..wonder if, considering the meat is really close grained...would it not make some great lunchmeat...slice it against the grain?

 

[roundball]

Gut it, drag it out, deliver it to someone who wants it, go home, clean the rifle, grill a steak...
:front:

PS: Per the Outdoor Life Magazine article, CWD's rapid march continues...discoveries known to date are:

1978 - Colorado Mule Deer
1981 - Colorado Elk
1986 - Wyoming Elk
1990 - Colorado Whitetail
1997 - South Dakota
1999 - Montana
2001 - Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, and Saskatchawan
2002 - Wisconsin, New Mexico, Minnesota, Illinois
2003 - Utah
2005 - New York

Speculation is that it's far more widespread than discovered as many states weren't even looking for it...as time goes on, more and more states are now making plans for increased testing.

I personally won't eat any wild red meat from members of the deer family, squirrels, rabbits, etc...only meat that's gone through the U.S.D.A. meat testing/processing cycle
:results: :m2c:

 

[Stumpkiller]

Just curious about the heart..while I will eat most anything, years back I tried cooking it...and well..I er...boiled the thing..not bad tasting..but sure was different.

Durn Englishmen. If it ain't boiled they can't cook it. :haha:

My wife stuffs it like a turkey with dressing and roasts it with a few quartered onions in the roasting pan. Served with gravy & mashed potatoes, and a touch of horseradish on the side. Yum yum!

The liver I eat because I feel obligated not to waste meat. The heart I look forward to.

 

[Stumpkiller]

I personally won't eat any wild red meat from members of the deer family, squirrels, rabbits, etc...only meat that's gone through the U.S.D.A. meat testing/processing cycle

Rather take your chances with "random samples" of steroids, growth hormones, uncontrolled antibiotics (which can cause immunity among the bacteria in our bodies) and grocery store cutting, wrapping and handling?

http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Fact_Sheets/Beef_from_Farm_to_Table/index.asp

http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Fact_Sheets/Inspection_&_Grading/index.asp

An FSIS inspection pretty much is limited to bacterial exposure AFTER the cattle are dead. I can't find any questions regarding how the cow died. :shocking:

I at least know the deer was well enough to be walking on it's own when I shot it. Cattle? Who knows? I see those little white rending trucks all the time who go to those that aren't able to get there on their hooves.

 

[roundball]

I personally won't eat any wild red meat from members of the deer family, squirrels, rabbits, etc...only meat that's gone through the U.S.D.A. meat testing/processing cycle

Rather take your chances with steroids, growth hormones, uncontrolled antibiotics (which can cause immunity among the bacteria in our bodies) and grocery store cutting, wrapping and handling?

http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Fact_Sheets/Beef_from_Farm_to_Table/index.asp

http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Fact_Sheets/Inspection_&_Grading/index.asp

An FSIS inspection pretty much is limited to bacterial exposure AFTER the cattle are dead. I can't find any questions regarding how the cow died. :shocking:

I at least know the deer was well enough to be walking on it's own when I shot it. Cattle? Who knows?

:crackup:
I'll still go with science...those animals with CWD were on their feet too until they were harvested...
:front:

 

[plewis]

Stuff the heart with bits of pork sausage, green peppers, onions and seasoned bread stuffing. Bake until done.